


Lapse

by black_tea



Series: Axis Mundi [4]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Investigation, M/M, Memory Loss, Omegaverse, Sexual Content, UFOs, a/b/o dynamics, alpha!Scully, male!Scully, omega!Mulder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2017-01-09
Packaged: 2018-09-10 19:13:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8930458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/black_tea/pseuds/black_tea
Summary: After dropping everything to travel to a town experiencing UFO sightings, Mulder finds himself being bailed out of jail by his partner. If only he could remember how he got there.What happens in Swinton, stays in Swinton, or so it seems.





	1. A Bad Time In Swinton

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, here's the next installment - I'm planning on weekly updates for this. Oh, and happy holidays, whatever holiday you celebrate around this time. Rest easy in the knowledge that you can probably count on having a better time than Mulder is having in this chapter. Thanks for reading!

Mulder sat in the jail cell with his head in his hands trying to will away what had to be the worst headache of his life. It was at least quiet, the drunks in the next cell over had been released early that morning. Eventually, someone would come for him. If only he could remember how he ended up there to begin with. Police officers ignored his questions, and he had a hard time mustering the energy to make a fuss. He needed to make a phone call, or had he made one already? So much of the previous night was fuzzy, his memories made up of dim shapes and impressions. He wasn't even sure what time it was. He lay back down in hopes of dulling the pounding in his head.

Eventually footsteps echoed down the corridor and stopped outside his cell door. “Wake up, Mr. Mulder. You've got company.” 

Mulder quickly sat up and immediately regretted the decision as another stab of pain lanced through his head. A bored looking police officer stood regarding him blandly accompanied by Scully who, well, Mulder knew the man well enough to know that was not a happy face. He was also dressed in a suit with his ID clipped to the front. This most likely meant Mulder's exploits, whatever they had been, had gotten back to his superiors, and he was officially in trouble.

“We're releasing you to Agent Scully. You would be wise to not end up here again.” 

Mulder hauled himself to his feet and shuffled over to the door which was opened for him. Scully took him by the elbow and led him out. He was seething, Mulder could tell. His posture was stiff, mouth set, and he was being absently touchy feely in the way of emotional alphas who weren't thinking about what they were doing.

“Get in the car.” His partner finally spoke when they reached the rental vehicle. Mulder obeyed, half falling into the passenger seat. For once he was content to let his partner drive. His head hurt too badly to concentrate on the road, and he felt vaguely disoriented.

Scully slid behind the steering wheel with a huff, shut the door with more force than strictly necessary, and turned to his partner. “What were you thinking? Are you really _trying_ to destroy your career? _Well_?”

“I don't know. I don't remember.” 

“What do you mean, you don't remember?” 

“I don't....I remember coming to this town and why, but I don't remember what happened or how I wound up in police custody.” He replied, grasping desperately at memories that continued to elude him. “I'm not even entirely sure what day it is.”

“It's Wednesday, and you were arrested for trespassing and disorderly conduct.” He peered into Mulder's face, concern rapidly replacing his anger. “Mulder, look at me.” He took Mulder's face in his hands, studying his eyes and then gently probing at his head. “There doesn't seem to be any contusions, and your pupils look normal. Did you receive medical care?”

“I don't think so?” At that point, Mulder couldn't be certain of much of anything. His body relaxed under Scully's touch, an omega's natural response to an alpha. Mulder made a point to not habitually give in to natural responses, but Scully had always been the exception.

Scully frowned. “Did you consume anything that could have been drugged?”

Mulder shrugged helplessly. “I don't think so. My head is killing me. Do you have any aspirin or ibuprofen? Something for migraines?”

“No, but we can stop and pick something up.” Scully's voice and manner had softened. “I'm supposed to bring you back. You're going to have to explain your actions, and that might not go well.” He sighed. “Our flight leaves tomorrow afternoon.” He started the car and backed out of the parking space.

Mulder closed his eyes against the midmorning light. The clock on the dashboard read 10:26. He was aware when the car stopped and Scully got out. A few minutes later his partner returned and thrust a bottle of water and a bottle of pills into his hands. “I have a room at the Motel 6 on Spring Road.” He popped three ibuprofen and drank down half the bottle in an attempt to remove the fuzziness from his mouth.

“It's room fifteen, ground floor. Around that way.” Mulder pointed to the right side of the building once they arrived. He dug around in his wallet for the room key, but came up empty handed. “It's not here. I know it was in my wallet.”

“We'll get a new one at the front desk.” Scully looked more uncertain than his tone of voice led on. When they finally gained access to the room, everything looked normal at first glance, but on further inspection, items had been moved. He was sure he had stashed his brief case in the drawer, but now it was sitting on the bed. The notepad he had been using also seemed to be missing.

“That's strange.” He murmured opening the case. The notebook wasn't there either, and several photographs had also vanished. “Someone's taken some of the files. There should be photographs in here and notes. And this briefcase wasn't sitting on the bed when I left the room yesterday.”

“Could a maid have moved it while cleaning?” 

He shook his head. “Not likely when it was originally in the drawer. There's no sign that anyone forced their way in, but I'm also missing the original room key.”

“Mulder, what did you come out here for?” Scully asked, tone firm again now the he knew Mulder's health wasn't in any immediate danger.

Mulder, however, walked into the tiny bathroom and peered up at the ceiling. “What are you doing?” The little alpha stared at him as Mulder climbed up onto the toilet seat and felt around at the ceiling tiles. One lifted up and he reached in to pull out a manila envelope.

“Retrieving the rest of the file. I stashed it here just in case this kind of thing happened.”

“That...that is really paranoid.”

“Is it paranoia if they really are out to get you?” Mulder smiled at him before carefully climbing back down. “I was clearly right to hide this.” He toed off his shoes and sank down onto the bed. He opened the envelope and handed over the contents to Scully who sat down beside him.

Scully studied the cassette tape in his hand. “What is this exactly?”

“It's communication between local law enforcement. It was sent to me by a source. He reached into the briefcase for a small tape recorder. Scully listened to the tape, frown returning. 

“I can understand your interest in this, but this isn't definitive proof of anything. Sightings of unidentified objects happen, but there could easily be a rational explanation. We've been through this kind of thing before. Why drop everything to come out here in secret, no less?”

“Because the military was getting involved. They were sending out a detachment of the National Guard. Officially it was for training purposes, but it's an awfully big coincidence considering the UFO sightings. The police department responded to ten different calls that night.” He paused, eyeing Scully whose displeasure seemed to be quickly returning.

“Someone just gave this to you. Who, Mulder?”

“It was anonymous.” He admitted, knowing that was the last thing his partner probably wanted to hear. He held up a hand to forestall the objections that were about to burst forth. “But clearly there _is_ something here, or I wouldn't have ended up in a jail cell suffering from memory loss. Plus items related to the case were taken from the room. My room key was also possibly stolen.”

Scully bit back whatever he was about to say. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on the palm of his hand. It was the posture of someone praying for strength. “Mulder, even if there is something going on here, you shouldn't have taken off over an anonymous tip in the first place.”

“But clearly this anonymous person was onto something.” Now Mulder was becoming annoyed. He understood Scully's reticence to believe without hard, scientifically provable evidence, but not his partners difficulty in pushing back against the bureaucracy that so often blocked their path. “If all I ever did was toe the department line, I'd never get anywhere. Especially when it's individuals within the bureau that are interfering and hiding evidence in the first place.” He raised his voice more than he had intended, wanting Scully to actually listen to him.

Scully started to say something, clenched his fists and stopped. He sat thinking for several long moments before turning back to his partner. “Mulder, I'm not saying something improper isn't going on here. Something happened to you that shouldn't have. But by not going through proper channels, you've opened yourself up for reprimand.” His voice was soft, the forcefulness gone. “You're so passionate and driven... I'm afraid that others will use that to manipulate you.” He leaned in and pressed his lips against the side of Mulder's mouth. It wasn't a quick peck, but a warm, lingering kiss. “I don't want to see you lose the X-Files or have your career completely destroyed over this.”

The intimate contact left fluttery little tingles low in his belly, and he was suddenly very aware of how pleasing Scully smelled. And he didn't want to deal it. His head ached, he was exhausted, hungry and frustrated. He didn't need to add his rebellious instincts into the mix. 

“Scully, I want to get to the truth. I _need_ to know what happened. What I don't need is an alpha playing on my status.” Mulder snapped. Scully visibly shrank back into himself, and Mulder immediately regretted what he had said. But he couldn't think straight, and couldn't deal with anymore complications. 

“Alright, we have to be on a plane at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon. What do you want to do.” Scully's voice was subdued and Mulder felt a stab of guilt, knowing deep down that the other man had merely been affectionate. They had engaged in intimate gestures before, and Scully had never pulled alpha dominance crap on him.

He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. “I guess start from the beginning. I arrived at eleven yesterday morning and checked in here at twelve-thirty.”

Scully grabbed a small notebook that had been sitting on the bedside table and a pen. “OK, what next?”

“I got lunch and took a nap. There was no point in going out during the day – I would've been caught. I realize there is a certain amount of irony in that.” He smiled self deprecatingly, hoping to relieve some of the tension of the last few minutes. Scully glanced up at him with a small, tentative smile. “Once it got dark enough to stay hidden, I went out to the area the guard were supposedly using for training purposes. I parked the rental car about a mile out and walked the rest of the way, but I don't remember anything after that.”

“Did you see anything out of the ordinary? Talk to anyone?”

Mulder shook his head. “I don't know. I remember there being some kind of activity, and hiding in some brush. It's a rural area out past the town itself. The next thing I fully remember I was in a jail cell. I have some vague impressions shortly before that – I think it was being brought into the police station.”

“And they never though to have you checked out by a doctor?” Scully sighed when Mulder again answered in the negative. “OK, go on.”

“And that's it.” Mulder finished helplessly. “You have to admit that's strange.”

“Definitely strange.” His expression was thoughtful. “It doesn't necessarily follow that this is related to anything extraterrestrial, but something out of the ordinary is going on. The problem is, we have very limited time, and you can't risk getting into anymore trouble than you're already in.” A hint of sternness had crept back into his voice. “I know this isn't what you want to hear, but it might be best to get checked out by a doctor just to be safe, and leave the rest of this one alone.”

“Not going to happen.”

Scully sighed. “I was afraid you were going to say that. There is one question I really want answered, and that's how you came to be in police custody. I was told you were caught trespassing and had resisted arrest. They never said anything about memory loss. Getting anything out of the military is likely to be difficult to impossible, if in fact any of the responsibility belongs to them. However, the local police may well be the weakest link in the chain of events. Whatever you may have done, the fact that you had not been checked out medically when something was clearly wrong is a serious oversight on their part. No one can blame me for wanting answers.”

* * *

Scully sat in the parking lot of the police station weighing his options. He knew that his foremost objective was getting Mulder back to DC without anything else happening that would incur the wrath of their superiors. He really didn't want to see Mulder get into any worse trouble than he was already in. So far he would be reprimanded for taking off without having the assignment approved – the fact that something had clearly happened and been mishandled by the police might actually work in Mulder's favor. If nothing else went wrong. _If_.

On the other hand, Scully couldn't deny that there was something more happening than mere military training exercises. He was not prepared to leap to the conclusion that it had anything to do with actual alien spacecraft, but something had happened to Mulder. The fact that his motel room had been broken into merely confirmed that there was more to this than just his partner making a bad decision and ending up on the wrong side of local authorities.

Scully sighed. Short of tying Mulder up and locking him in his room, there would be no way of keeping Mulder from continuing to look for answers, and anyway, Scully was more than a little interested to know what really happened. He climbed out of the car and headed in, allowing himself a little alpha swagger. This was one of those situations where it wouldn't hurt to appear a bit more confident, a bit more aggressive. 

“I need to speak to whoever was in charge of bringing in Agent Mulder last night.” He announced, surveying the room. He was the very picture of a self assured male alpha.

“That would be Henke,” replied a slightly worried looking young officer. “Come with me.”

Scully followed the man back to a desk in the corner of the room. “This is officer Henke, He was the one who arrested your partner.”

Henke looked up, annoyance flashing across his face at the intrusion. Then his eyes fell on Scully, and his expression turned into something else that Scully couldn't quite read. He continued with the Alpha Male Act, though these were actually natural mannerisms and not, in fact, acting. However, Scully didn't often put them on display. 

“I need the details of Agent Mulder's arrest last night.”

“You already have them,” came the bored reply. “He was arrested for trespassing and disorderly conduct.” 

Scully noticed that the officer's body language didn't entirely match his uninterested tone. The man looked a little tense. “What exactly happened when you found him.”

“He couldn't tell you that?”

Scully continued to look down his nose at Henke. “No, he couldn't, because he has no memory of last night's events. You must have realized from questioning him that something was wrong, yet you didn't seek any medical advice.” Scully's tone was flat and radiated entirely unfeigned disapproval.

“We don't need the doctor for every drunk or junky that ends up here. He clearly wasn't in any physical danger.” Henke was on the defensive now. He hadn't been expecting this, and wasn't prepared to be questioned.

“According to Agent Mulder he hadn't been drinking, and he has no past history of drug abuse. Did you use a breathalyzer test? Attempt to ascertain if he was in fact under the influence?”

“It was deemed unnecessary at the time. I'm sorry, Agent Scully, but I can't help you.” He sat back and met Scully's eyes in a way that was meant to be challenging, but he soon dropped his gaze. He then went on in a more subdued tone of voice, “He was found trespassing near where the guard's been having training exercises. They've been trying to keep people out so no one accidentally gets hurt. That's all I know.”

“You've been having this problem before? People wandering into a military area?”

For a moment, Henke looked like he had been cornered. He had let something slip that he hadn't intended. But in an instant, it was gone, replaced by his previous bored expression. “From time to time. People get curious.”

“And who called and reported someone trespassing?” 

Now Henke looked genuinely flustered. “Someone happened to see him and called us. There was no need for the military to handle it.”

“Alright, thank you. I've taken up enough of your time.” Henke looked a little relieved as Scully turned to go. Mulder was correct in that something was going on, but was it a hornet's nest worth poking?


	2. Of Cars and an Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder and Scully begin looking for answers, but Scully finds himself sidetracked by their earlier disagreement.

When Scully quietly let himself back into the room, he found Mulder asleep on top of the blankets. He carefully sank down onto the edge of the mattress, fighting the urge to curl up around him. He didn't want his actions to be read as inappropriate, and anyway, they didn't have the time – not if they were going to reconstruct what happened the night before. Though a small part of Scully wondered if he let Mulder sleep, maybe they would run out of time thus keeping him out of further trouble. That wasn't fair, though. With a sigh, he gently shook the sleeping man's shoulder.

Mulder came awake with a small start. “Scully?” He rolled over to look up at his partner and propped himself up on an elbow. “I didn't mean to fall asleep.”

“You needed it. You weren't looking so good when I picked you up this morning.” He started to reach out to touch Mulder's face, but pulled his hand back, remembering their argument that morning. “I couldn't get much out of the police, but the officer I spoke to was clearly hiding something. You also weren't the only person they've picked up for trespassing since the army came arrived, though he didn't give any details.”

“That's the logical place to start, then.”

“It has to be people who have taken a heavy interest in the UFO sightings. This made the paper here. Perhaps we should try talking to the reporter.” Scully's hand had settled atop Mulder's hip without him fully realizing it. He quickly moved it. His partner said nothing and merely sat up to reach for the file that had been hidden in the bathroom ceiling. 

He rifled through the papers until he found several newspaper articles. “Looks like John Darrow of the Swinton Enquirer is our man.” He reached for the telephone. Scully half listened to Mulder's side of the phone conversation and tried to ignore the feeling that things were bound to go horribly wrong.

“It turns out John Darrow is off on medical leave as of three days ago.” Mulder set the receiver back down onto the cradle with a rattle. “We'll have to go to him.”

Scully frowned. “Did they say what he's suffering from?”

“No, but his boss didn't sound too concerned. I say we drive over. Either that or go on knock on the army's door, but somehow I can't see that going well.” He heaved himself up off the bed and quickly went about making himself look presentable.

Scully couldn't really argue with his logic. Darrow had an interest which he had the means to investigate, and Scully wanted to keep Mulder as far away from any military personnel as possible. It was a quiet drive from the motel right off the highway into the heart of Swinton. It was a smallish town within a ten minute drive of a decent sized Midwestern city. Overall fairly prosperous with a mix of old and new houses. The road out of town to the east quickly turned rural, and that was supposedly the hot zone.

Scully glanced at his partner who seemed lost in his own thoughts. Was he pushier than he realized? Had he overstepped that morning? Had he been overstepping all along? He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He didn't _think_ so. It was more likely that Mulder's frustration and physical condition had caused him to lash out. He was also fairly certain he shouldn't be worrying about it given the present circumstances, but Scully found it hard to stop questioning himself. He didn't want to be _that_ kind of alpha, and it sat in the back of his mind during any and all interactions with omegas. Maybe his comfort level with Mulder had made him lax. Just as he considered saying something about it, Mulder's voice cut through his thoughts.

“Turn here on Ridge.” 

It would clearly have to be a conversation for another time. They pulled up to a small, but tidy older home set back in a good sized tree shaded lawn. Scully hoped they would find some kind of answer that would appease Mulder. Personally, Scully doubted he would find the answers he wanted which were a little different than Mulder's. He was less concerned about UFO sightings and a potential cover up, and more worried about what could have caused Mulder to lose an entire night. 

When Darrow came to the door he gave a start at seeing Mulder and Scully which turned to fear when Scully flashed his ID. “Your employer told us you were out on medical leave. We're sorry to disturb you if you're not feeling well, but you might be able to help us with some questions. May we come in?” Scully did his best to be polite and as unassuming as a man holding an FBI badge could be. It must have worked to some extent, because after looking back and forth between them, Darrow opened the door wider and stepped aside. 

“Thank you, Mr. Darrow.” Mulder gave him a smile. They followed him into a much lived in living room scattered with papers and file folders. 

“I'm not sure what you'd want to talk with me about.” He licked his lips nervously. 

“Actually, I was hoping you knew something about the supposed UFO sightings, since you wrote several articles.” Seeing the expression on Darrow's face, Mulder continued. “You aren't in any trouble. We're just looking for information, and you seemed to be a good source.” 

He relaxed somewhat at that, though still clearly not fully at ease. “What do you want to know?" 

“We were told that people kept attempting to bypass military security in hopes of catching a glimpse of a UFO.” 

Darrow ran a hand through his curly dark hair. “Yeah, I mean, it wouldn't surprise me. People want to know what's going on in their own town. I went out there myself, but I'm sure you knew that. I was hoping to find someone to interview, or at least I think that was the intention. I can't actually remember it.” He fidgeted and let out a short nervous laugh. “A farmer found me wandering around in a field with his cows. Wasn't anywhere near where they're supposedly doing maneuvers. Nope. I was ten miles away.” 

“Actually, we didn't know that, Mr. Darrow, and I had a similar experience. All of last night is gone.” 

Darrow studied his face intently for a long moment. “I thought you were here because I was caught nosing around the military. And they might claim to be National Guard here for training, but I'm positive that's a cover story.” 

“No. I came here for the same reason you went nosing around. Answers.” Mulder leaned forward. “Do you know if this has happened to anyone else?" 

He sighed. “No, unfortunately. I intended to find out, but to be honest, the whole experience has me kind of spooked. I don't take drugs, I hadn't been drinking, I passed my last physical with flying colors. Someone did this to me, and I don't know what else they might be capable of. And if they'll do this to an FBI agent? I won't be sleeping easy for awhile.” 

“Here's the number to my cell phone in case you do remember anything.” Scully quickly scribbled down the phone number with a pen sitting on the coffee table in front of him. 

“I guess it is good to know that I'm not the only one. Not that I'd wish this on you or anything.” Darrow said as they headed towards the door. “At least I'm not crazy.” 

“I don't like this, Mulder.” Scully remarked in a low voice as they made their way down the walk. “There are various drugs that will do this to a person, but that isn't the way anyone would normally handle the curious public.” 

“I don't think it's just the trespassing. They're worried about people seeing too much.” 

They slid into the car, Scully refusing for the time being to give up the driver's seat. “It's possible your memories are accessible, they just have to be jogged. Maybe if we retrace some of your steps. Where did you leave the rental car?” 

“I took state route 18 out of town – less than ten miles. I remember that part of the evening fairly well. Things are a little fuzzy, but I'm pretty sure it'll come back.” 

Again Scully tried to collect his thoughts enough to say something about that morning. “You, OK, Scully? You've been very quiet.” He didn't have to take his eyes off the road to know that Mulder was studying him intently. 

“Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking.” Before he could continue his train of thought, Mulder broke in. 

“I remember this. It was dark at the time, and I was thinking I needed to be careful how I took that bend in the road there. There should be a little dirt lane coming up. That's where I parked the car.” 

Scully slowed down, searching for the turn off. If he hadn't been looking for it, he would have driven right past. It was merely a dirt lane surrounded by a tangle of honeysuckle and young trees. “Good thing it didn't rain.” He commented. It would be all to easy to get a car stuck. 

“I didn't intend to leave it there for more than a few hours.” Mulder sat forward with a frown. “It's gone.” 

“Are you sure this is the right place?” 

“Positive. It was right before the warning sign for the bend in the road.” 

Scully put the car in park and turned off the engine. Despite Mulder's insistence that this was, in fact, the right place, he couldn't be certain that his partner remembered correctly. If the car had been there, there should have been some sign. 

“I parked a little farther up. It wouldn't have been visible from the road.” 

Scully climbed out and walked a little ways ahead. Overhanging branches had been bent and it looked like the scrubby weeds and grass had been beaten down. He crouched down for a closer look. “You're right, Mulder. There are tire tracks. It's possible whoever owns this property found your car and had it towed.” 

“Possibly. Or whoever caught me decided to get rid of the car too.” 

Scully made a noncommittal noise. He couldn't guess one way or another. It was clear to him that something was happening here that shouldn't be. The fact that another person had the same experience as Mulder was no coincidence. However, Scully didn't have anything approaching an answer. The explanation that seemed the most likely was that the military was training with something they didn't want the public to know about. But if that was the case, why conduct sensitive tests and training here? It was hardly a secure location. 

Scully stood and almost backed into Mulder who had moved to see what he had been looking at. Mulder steadied him, and the hand at Scully's back sent a little thrill through him followed closely by another pang of guilt. He shouldn't be thinking and feeling that way. It was unprofessional. He took a step forward to put a little physical distance between himself and his partner. 

“I don't have any answers, Mulder. More questions, perhaps.” He glanced at his watch. It was nearly four in the afternoon. “We can try and find out who owns the property and whether or not they had the car towed.” 

Mulder followed him back to the car they did have. Scully shoved the key into the ignition, but didn't start the car. “Mulder, I have something I need to say.” 

* * *

“What is it?” Mulder regarded the other man with a little concern. He didn't sound like his usual self and had been quiet and withdrawn since they left the motel.

“It's about this morning. You were right.”

“About? I'm guessing you haven't suddenly decided that my coming out here was a good idea.”

“No...it's wasn't a good idea, but that's not what this is about. I kissed you, and I had no business doing so. It was completely inappropriate given the circumstances.”

Mulder mentally kicked himself. Everyone had their insecurities, and this was Scully's big one. He had basically shoved Scully's nose right in it. “Scully, no. It's fine. You didn't do anything wrong.” His words didn't seem to have much affect, so he reached out to gently stroke Scully's cheek with the back of his finger in hopes that tactility would make more of an impression. It was normal for humans to want to touch and be touched. With alpha and omega interactions, the force of that very basic human desire was further amplified.

“You did have a valid point. We aren't like other people, like betas. We, _I_ need to be aware of how my actions impact those around me.”

“What? What other people? Approximately twenty percent of the population is like us, and betas are hardly perfect.” He couldn't help but notice the irony – the aspect of his omega status that he found unsettling was the same thing that worried Scully about being an alpha. Loss of control. It was the same coin, just different sides. Mulder felt an up welling of affection. Whether it was seeing Scully's vulnerability, or being in close confines with an alpha, or just not getting any in quite awhile, he couldn't be completely sure, but the omega side of himself was starting to make its wants known. For once, he wasn't so interested in fighting it. 

Mulder undid Scully's seat belt with a click and gently pushed up the hem of his shirt so he could stroke the creamy skin and soft fuzz just above the waistband of Scully's pants. He had, of course, thought about touching Scully like this before, but had never really allowed himself the pleasure. The one time he had had the opportunity, he had been trying not to set his partner off. He marveled at the softness of the bare flesh under his finger tips. The truth was, he enjoyed Scully's affection and wanted to return it. He just wasn't always certain how or if he should. 

Scully however, continued on undeterred. He had the air of someone who had something he wanted to say and was determined to get it out.“No, I was being unfair. I shouldn't have complicated things by triggering your instincts.”

Mulder leaned over so he could plant kisses along the strip of exposed belly. Being crammed into the car made the position a little awkward but it was worth it. Scully's skin was warm under his lips, and he could feel him tremble at his touch. “It's OK, Scully,” he murmured. He sighed softly at the shiver of arousal deep in his belly. He liked this, wanted more. Wanted to enjoy the taste, and warmth and texture. His face was so close to Scully's lap, and that realization started warmth growing in his loins. He knew what he wanted, and despite Scully being an alpha, it didn't frighten him. There was no trepidation, no anxiety. For once he knew what he wanted and that was OK. It wasn't a feeling he was used to. Fascinating. 

“But -”

“Daniel,” Mulder laughed softly. “I'm not down here checking you for ticks. I'm trying to blow you.” He undid the button on the waistband and slowly drew down the zipper. He paused, giving Scully the chance to refuse.

“Oh.”

“Unless you rather I didn't?” He nosed against Scully's cock, kissing it through the fabric of his underwear. The sharp intake of breath coupled with an upward thrust of his hips told Mulder all he needed to know. Mulder mouthed him through the soft cotton until the smaller man was squirming and making soft needy little noises.

He disentangled Scully's warm plump cock from his clothing, nuzzling against it's length before running his tongue from root to tip. He sucked the tip into his mouth pulling a moan from his partner whose hand moved to rest on Mulder's head, stroking his hair. His mouth sank down to encompass as much of the flushed, taut flesh as he could. It felt good having Scully in his mouth, the intimacy reassuring, and god, if he didn't make the most adorable little noises. The animal part of himself, the omega, was pleased that his alpha was pleased, though it would've been even happier with mutual nakedness. He mostly ignored that part of himself as cars were not really as private as people often seemed to treat them. 

He hollowed his cheeks, sucking as hard as he could as he slid up and down, not objecting in the least to the sensual undulations of Scully's hips. The hand resting on Mulder's head tightened on his hair before Scully seemed to realize what he was doing, and moving it to grip Mulder's shirt instead.

“Oh, that's good, s'good, oh oh _oh_ \--”

Mulder pulled off, giving the tip a quick kiss and looking up at Scully. “You getting close, babe?” Scully made a strained sound. His eyes lust darkened and his face flushed. Mulder pressed more wet lingering kisses to his taut and quivering belly, wanting to draw things out just a little bit longer. 

“Mmm...more, please, more. Want to come in your mouth.”

Mulder chuckled. “OK, Daniel.” He took Scully back into his mouth and was rewarded with a long low moan as Scully lifted his hips wanting to be fully enveloped by Mulder's mouth. Mulder slowly and carefully sucked as much of him down as he could. It was not the most comfortable, but Scully was worth the extra effort. He swallowed, the movement of his throat massaging Scully's cock.

“Oh, my god! Mulder I -” He squirmed, one hand fisted tightly in Mulder's shirt and the other gripping the side of the seat. 

Happy with the result of this, Mulder repeated the action, making Scully orgasm with a sharp 'Ah!'. He licked Scully's cock clean, trying to catch his own breath, and sat up. Looking rather dazed, Scully tucked himself back into his pants. 

“Oh, here, wait.” Scully dug through his pockets until he found a tissue and turned to help clean Mulder up. Where the tissue didn't work, Scully's warm, pink tongue licked his lips and chin clean sending a renewed spike of arousal through Mulder's groin. He wanted so badly to slide over onto Scully's lap. Soft lips nuzzled against his own, and his eyes fluttered closed in anticipation.

The sound of a heavy vehicle on the road behind them broke the spell. Car's weren't private, and they didn't have the time to hump each others like a pair of horny teenagers. Scully must have had the same thought, because he promptly sat back and refastened his seat belt. “We should get moving.” He turned back to Mulder, longing flashing briefly across his face. “Can I reciprocate later? I don't want to get caught out here.”

Mulder's lips twitched upwards into a smile. “Of course, Scully. I think I like the idea of you owning me.” That earned him a snort as Scully began backing the car back out onto the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I picked and picked at that scene in the car - I didn't want it to feel like it came out of nowhere.


	3. Followed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder trusts neither the Swinton police or military, and it seems the feeling is mutual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going up a few days earlier than originally intended. I wanted to wrap this chapter up and get it posted before the post holiday madness begins at work tomorrow.

They had been driving for less than five minutes when flashing lights appeared in the rear view. “Oh look, it's our friends from this morning.” Whatever was going on, Mulder was positive the local police were involved in it. 

Scully pulled over with a sigh, rolled down his window and waited for the police officer to make his leisurely way towards them. He leaned down and glared at them through the open window. “What did I say about nosing around out here?”

“Sir,” Scully began in a no nonsense tone. “This is a public road, and as to what we're doing out here, we were going to pick up my partner's rental car. It seems to have been towed.”

“Well, that's what happens to vehicles that are parked illegally.” He sounded less than sympathetic.

“Well, I'm pretty sure I hadn't intended to leave it out here.” Mulder pointed out. He tried to recall whether or not he had seen the officer before, but the previous night continued to elude him. Still, there was something about him that seemed familiar. “Are you planning on giving us a ticket for driving the speed limit on a public thoroughfare?”

The officer ignored the last remark.“I would suggest giving Randall's Towing a call about the car. And I'll give you some more advice – go back to your motel. I'd hate to see you get in anymore trouble.” He grinned before stepping away and sauntering back to his car.

“Whatever's going on, I can guarantee they know what it is.”

Mulder sat quietly for a moment, thinking. “Not necessarily. They could have been told almost anything, and then ordered to keep locals from getting too curious. He's following us.”

“Of course he is.” Scully sighed. “Maybe if we head back towards the motel, he'll turn back.”

Mulder suspected that the car hadn't been towed because of his illegal parking job, but so it could be searched for any files he might have. He sat back and closed his eyes, allowing the hum of the engine and the gentle motion of the car to relax him and tried again to remember. He could picture setting out from the motel fairly clearly. He had gotten into the car, driven out of town. His memories became fuzzy around the edges shortly after. He vaguely remembered parking the car, of walking down the road and ducking into the brush along the side when a military vehicle drove by. Then there was a black spot, and then crawling under a fence, and then nothing. There were hazy impressions later –feeling disoriented, voices sometimes loud and sometimes soft, like playing with the volume on the radio. He couldn't recall specific words let alone conversations. His limbs felt heavy, everything felt heavy. The next clear memory was being locked up.

“Are you OK?”

Mulder opened his eyes to see Scully glancing at him as he drove. “Just trying to remember. It's like having a word at the tip of your tongue.”

He felt the warm weight of Scully's hand come to rest on his thigh. “I don't know what they did to you, but it's possible in time it will come back.”

“I'm not so sure. If they really don't want people to know what they're up to, then they're not just going to give them something that wears off in a few days.”

Scully didn't have anything to say in response so he just gave Mulder's thigh a gentle squeeze before removing his hand. Mulder felt a pang of regret at the loss. 

“We should get something to eat. Know of any places around here?”

“There's a truck stop just down from the motel. The coffee's good.” Mulder suggested. They were running out of time, and he was loath to waste more, but Scully was right. They needed to eat, and with the police officer following them around like a big unfriendly dog, it would be better to be seen doing something completely innocent.

As predicted, the police car turned down a side street as they neared the motel, though Mulder doubted they had seen the last of him. They grabbed a booth in the corner where the rest of the room was clearly visible, yet they had a modicum of privacy. The food wasn't spectacular, but it wasn't terrible either if you kept it simple. 

“I don't know what to say, Mulder.” Scully sighed as he toyed with a french fry. “I don't like any of this, but we have very little time, and no backing from the FBI.”

“I know, but I _need_ to know what happened.”

Scully's expression wasn't unsympathetic. “I know, and I understand. I don't blame you, but without more resources or cooperation....”

Mulder shifted in his seat. He felt as though he were being watched, had felt that way since their food had arrived. It prickled between his shoulder blades, made the skin on back of neck crawl. He didn't dare turn around, though. “Scully, do you get the impression that someone's keeping an eye on us?”

“I'm fairly certain the man in the blue flannel shirt and brown jacket followed us in here. He turned into the parking lot immediately after we did, and every so often he glances over.” Scully had dropped his voice and shifted his position so that his lips would not be readable. “I'm assuming he's from the police department making sure we don't stray too far from the motel.”

Mulder considered their options. It was possible their tail possessed useful information, but they had little leverage to convince him to talk. He could be police, but he could also be something else. The biggest question was whether or not he was simply meant to spy or to take action. “I'd like to see if he continues to follow us, better yet, I'd like a word with him.” For a moment, it looked like Scully might object, but he closed his mouth and gave a short nod of agreement. 

If they hadn't been expecting him, their shadow would've been easily missed. He looked completely ordinary and was fairly good at pretending he wasn't paying attention to them. But, being aware of his presence, it became obvious quickly that he was determined to follow them, much more so than the police officer earlier. The motel was at least somewhat familiar ground, and being more private, it would be easier to corner him and maybe get some answers. The last light wash fading from the sky, replaced by streetlights. Scully parked the car near their room and exchanged a glance with Mulder. A long moment later another car pulled in and parked at the far end.

“It looks like our friend just couldn't stay away. You can't say they aren't determined around here.” 

Scully unclipped his seat belt. “Unfortunately, our connection to the FBI is unlikely to mean much. I'm sure they all know you weren't here officially. Whoever 'they' are.”

“Military.” Mulder replied. “I don't know how much the police really know or don't know, but it's the military that's behind this. If we're lucky, that guy, is with the police and might be me more inclined to listen to reason. How do you feel about a little night time stroll, Scully?”

They wandered around the back of the building, and sure enough Mulder could here the faint scuff of a shoe somewhere behind them. He ducked into a shadow and pulled Scully with him when they rounded a corner and came to a less brightly lit area. Long minutes passed, and for a moment, Mulder thought their tracker had decided to head a different direction. But no, around the corner, cautiously, slowly appeared the ordinary looking man from earlier. Only close up he seemed a little less ordinary. He moved with precise economy, watchful, cautious. 

“Sir, I'm with the FBI, I need you to stop right there.” Scully barked, gun drawn. That was when everything went wrong.

* * *

Considering the man in the blue flannel had been stalking them for no _apparent_ reason, Scully felt justified in pulling his weapon. He also wanted to avoid a fist fight in the parking lot if all possible. What he hadn't counted on was that the man in the blue flannel wasn't alone. Almost as soon as the words left Scully's mouth, a figure emerged from the darkness, grabbing Mulder from behind.

“I suggest you put that away. Someone could get hurt.” Blue Flannel's voice was even, calm. He glanced at his companion and the struggling Agent Mulder and took a step closer to Scully. Mulder suddenly went stock still as the muzzle of a gun was pressed to his back.

“Let him go!” Scully pointed his gun at Blue Flannel. He didn't dare aim for Mulder's actual captor lest Mulder be shot by accident. At some level he realized that the situation was futile. He only hoped that he and Mulder were considered small fry and not worth bothering with aside from a little roughing up.

“Put down your weapon, Agent Scully.” When Scully made no move to comply, he continued. “If you want to ensure the safety of your partner, put down the weapon and both of you come with us.”

Scully looked back and forth between Mulder and the two men. He was also aware of another coming up behind him. There was no way this would end well should shots be fired. He slowly lowered the gun and set it on the ground in front of him, only to be promptly grabbed from behind, his arm twisted behind his back. It wasn't enough to cause damage, but enough pressure to keep him still.

“OK, come on. Let's move.”

When he realized they were about to be shoved into a truck, the fact that it was army issue had no bearing. He began to struggle. Being grabbed from behind, the rough handling, being forced into a vehicle immediately brought him back to his abduction by Atwater. Rationally, he knew this wasn't the same, but it didn't stop his body from starting to panic. His arm was promptly pulled into a painful angle that immobilized him before he was half dragged the rest of the way and shoved unceremoniously into the back of the truck next to Mulder who seemed to be taking the entire thing rather stoically.

Mulder's pheromone laced presence did have a soothing affect, and after a few minutes Scully managed to calm himself down enough that the rational part of his mind wrestled back the controls. Mulder turned his head to regard him, concern clear on his face. “You OK, Scully?” he murmured.

Scully nodded. 

“No talking,” barked one of the men, earning an exasperated look from Mulder.

Scully wondered if they were going to be found the next morning wandering around confused with no memory of the night before. Though he could see little out the back of the truck, after a time he was fairly certain they were retracing their drive from earlier in the day. Maybe at least they would get some answers provided, of course, that they would be permitted to remember them.

After a time the truck came to a bumpy halt and Mulder and Scully were hauled out with more force than strictly necessary into the middle of a make shift army camp. They were herded towards a permanent building of generic design that might have been storage of some type, but was now converted into temporary headquarters. 

A uniformed officer sat behind a desk in the center of the room, he looked up when they entered, an annoyed expression crossing his face. “You were told to stay away. You've given me no choice but to lodge a formal complaint with your superiors.”

“Like you have the right to make any complaint! You had us tailed, I had a gun drawn on me, and what did you do to me last night? I lost an entire night. Do you think that's even remotely legal?”

“Mulder.” Scully softly tried to grab his partner's attention before he began digging their hole even deeper.

“I can assure you, I have no idea what you're talking about. As for being followed...you clearly couldn't be trusted to behave as directed now, could you?”

“That's right, deny everything.” Mulder snarled. 

“Mulder,” Scully tried again before turning his attention back to what appeared to be a colonel. “Sir, I can't speak to what may or may not have happened last night, but what happened this evening was highly inappropriate.”

“I agree with you there, what is it? Agent Scully. However, I'm willing to overlook the fact that you threatened one of my men with a firearm. I realize that with being an alpha your instinct to protect your omega may override common sense.”

Scully's expression turned stony. “We had no way of knowing the man following us was one of your men. He was dressed as a civilian and never gave his name and rank.” His protest went completely ignored.

“I'm sorry to have to do this, but it's for your own good. I'll personally make sure you make your flight back to Washington tomorrow, in fact I might be able to pull some strings and get you an earlier one. In the meantime, however, you're going to be our guests.” He jerked his head towards the door of a small room off to the side. “This is why alphas and omegas shouldn't work together like this. Too unpredictable.” 

“Hey!” Mulder objected as they were shoved through it, the door slammed shut and locked.


	4. Actions and Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mulder and Scully find themselves stuck, and it's almost time to pay the piper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the end has come to yet another story. Thanks to all who read, kudo'd and/or commented. I appreciate it :D

“Come on, open the door! Let us out!” Mulder hollered, all the while knowing it was useless. He was dimly aware of Scully walking around the perimeter of the room, inspecting their would be prison. Scully must have finished his circuit, the room wasn't large, because he felt a firm but gentle hand on his arm pull him away from the door.

“That's not going to do any good. They aren't going to let us out until they know they can stick us on a plane out of Swinton.”

Mulder turned to look up at the window high on the wall. “Unfortunately, neither of us are going to be able to fit through there. I'm not _that_ small.” Scully's smile was humorless as he sank down onto the concrete floor. After a moment's hesitation, Mulder sat down beside him almost close enough for their shoulders to touch. Scully did take his arm then, sliding one hand around his bicep.

“Maybe the actions of the Colonel out there are egregious enough to help your case. Holding two FBI agents against their will...” his voice trailed off.

“I wouldn't count on it, Scully. There's no telling what kind of official complaints he's going to file.” Mulder bit back hard on the frustration threatening to well up and swallow him.

He felt Scully's lips against his cheek, warm and soft. This time he didn't object. This time he welcomed the affectionate gesture. He felt more grounded having Scully so physically near him. “I'm sorry things happened this way.” The smaller man gave Mulder's arm a squeeze. “What do you suppose this building was? Storage?”

Mulder started to reply but was interrupted by a loud boom that shook the building. A flash of light could be seen through the window, and the sounds of shouting became clear. They both struggled to their feet. “Hey, what's going on? Let us out!” Mulder pounded on the door again.

“If you help me up, I can see through the window.” Scully suggested.

It was a better idea than shouting himself hoarse at a locked door. Mulder made a stirrup with his hands and boosted Scully up, his partner grabbing hold of the sill for balance, and Mulder holding him around the thighs. 

“OK, it's hard to tell, but several people just ran by moving away from the road. Whatever that was, it's in the direction of the trees. There's also no way I can squeeze through this. My shoulders would get stuck.”

Mulder carefully eased him down, not particularly concerned with where his hands ended up considering what had happened earlier in the day. “They aren't going to let us out – who knows if there's anybody here anymore, but this room wasn't made to be a prison. More like a store room. We may be able to break down the door.”

Scully nodded in agreement. Mulder's estimation of the door was accurate, it didn't take much. If chaos hadn't suddenly broken out, there would have been at least one person present to make sure he and Scully didn't get into mischief, but now all bets were off. They headed for the door only to be stopped by a soldier who had been standing right outside looking tense.

“Whoa, there, sorry, but you can't go out there. It might not be safe.” He seemed genuinely concerned for their safety which was at least some improvement.

“What happened?” 

“I don't know for sure. Some kind of explosion.”

“I'm a medical doctor.” Scully replied, already starting to push past him.

“Sorry, sir, but I have my orders. No civilians.” He firmly pushed Scully back inside. It was then that Mulder saw his chance and took it. Knowing Scully was in no immediate danger, he rushed past the soldier and started running around the side of the building. He could hear Scully scuffling with their would be guard somewhere behind him, alpha instincts demanding that he protect his omega.

Mulder couldn't see anyone up ahead, but he could hear shouts coming from the thick stand of trees. Unfortunately, the trees meant he couldn't see anything either. Another boom, reminiscent of a canon going off at a football game though longer in duration, went off causing vibrations Mulder could feel up his legs. The air pressure suddenly changed, making him wince as his ears popped. Mulder's heart hammered in his chest. This was what he had come out here for.

He was forced to slow and turn his head as a flare of light too bright to look at shot upwards from the tree line. That was also the moment he was tackled by a soldier. The air whooshed out of his lungs as he hit the ground hard and the light went out. He attempted to crawl out from underneath the heavy body pinning him down, but was hauled roughly to his feet. Scully, escorted by the first soldier appeared walking towards him. Mulder noted that his guard had a firm grip on his upper arm. They both looked grim and disheveled. Scully had clearly given up offering his medical expertise, and the soldier wasn't about to underestimate him again.

“Come on, show's over. We have everything under control and don't need civilians getting in the way. Mulder and Scully exchanged looks as they were herded back towards the main building.

* * *

“I can't believe they're actually trying to claim it was an explosion caused by a gas leak.” Mulder fumed. “That's all they do, deny, deny, deny no matter how ridiculous it gets.”

“It's almost three in the morning. We can't go anywhere, since we now have a guard to 'ensure' our safety. I'm taking a shower and going to bed.” Scully said with an air of finality that suggested he was well and truly done with Swinton and it's mysteries.

Mulder sat down on the edge of the slightly lumpy motel room mattress and wearily rubbed his hands over his face. So close, yet he couldn't get close enough. And while they were no longer locked in a storeroom, they were still captives. Most of the previous night remained a blank spot in his consciousness. He had plenty of theories regarding what had happened, but proof lay tantalizingly just out of reach.

The water shut off, and a few minutes later Scully emerged in his underwear, a t-shirt, and a tired, put upon expression. He wearily sat down next to Mulder and rested a hand companionably on his shoulder. “There should be enough hot water left.”

“Are you suggesting that I smell?”

“You have leaves in your hair and look like you were rolling around on the ground.” Scully stifled a yawn. “Since we're stuck here anyway, might as well use the amenities such as they are.”

As soon as Mulder stood, Scully crawled under the blankets. There had never been time for him to get his own room, and Mulder was pretty sure their guards wouldn't approve of them splitting up anyway. Not that Mulder minded. He washed off the physical bits of Swinton that clung to him and pondered anonymous sources and military overreach. He thought about how good it had felt to have Scully in his mouth. By the time he hopped out of the shower, Scully was sound asleep sprawled across his half of the bed and encroaching on Mulder's space. He looked cute, limbs flung haphazardly. He slipped in next to Scully, poking him until he folded himself into a more compact position. 

He ran an appreciative hand over Scully's back and ribs before enfolding the small warm body in his arms. It was all he dared do with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum outside keeping watch. Scully made a contented sound. It was definitely better to focus on how nice Scully smelled and felt than what waited for them back home.

* * *

Scully tried to collect his thoughts and go through, once again, the answers he would give when. questioned about Mulder's behavior. It was a fine line. He didn't want to say anything damaging to his partner, but he also knew if he were caught in a lie or seemed to be going out of his way to help him, it could create more trouble down the road. Mulder had the window seat, but clearly decided Scully's shoulder made a better pillow than leaning on the side of the plane. Not that Scully minded. He turned his head slightly to nose at Mulder's hair. No one on the aircraft knew them. To their fellow passengers they were just an alpha omega couple flying together on business.

They would have to avoid any impropriety until this was over. Ironically, most employers would be overjoyed to find one of their alphas and one of their omegas taking a romantic interest in each other under the belief that it would settle them both. Scully hated to admit it, since it seemed a gross generalization, but there probably was a grain of truth to it. Alphas and omegas did seem to do better when paired off. Ah, but what did _their_ employer want? Scully had no idea. Various theories had chased around inside his head since day one, but there was no way of telling. Feeling drowsy, he rested his cheek against the top of Mulder's head and began to doze.

* * *

“Sir, it is impossible to say whether Agent Mulder acted appropriately or not when he has no memory of that night and can neither describe what happened or respond to accusations--”

“Agent Mulder never received approval to investigate this case to begin with.”

Scully took a deep breath and reigned in his frustration at this pointless little dance. There should have been at least some concern regarding what had happened to Mulder. Granted, Scully had never really expected anything better.

“That is true, however, it does not seem appropriate to compound the issue.” He paused briefly, but not to long lest he be interrupted again, to collect his thoughts. “Aren't any of you the least bit concerned with the fact that people have been drugged or interfered with in someway resulting in memory loss--”

“That's enough, Agent Scully. Right now what we are concerned with is whether or not Agent Mulder acted inappropriately, and if so to what degree.”

Scully huffed softly at that, backed into a corner. If he defended Mulder too strongly, he himself would be considered suspect, and anything he had to say would be ignored. But he couldn't sit by and let Mulder get railroaded either. “It seems to me, that impropriety existed on both sides, and perhaps you should concern yourself with more than just Agent Mulder's actions.”

“That will be all.” Scully was cut off with finality. He stood up and headed for the door, worry knotting his stomach. Mulder was seated in a chair outside not looking nearly as worried as Scully thought he should.

“Mulder, be careful in there. I did what I could.”

“I know you did, Scully. This isn't the first time I've been through something like this.”

Scully watched him disappear into the room with a slight frown, unable to share Mulder's confidence. If that _was_ even confidence. He needed air. He made his way through the building and out the front to sit on the steps. It wasn't particularly cheery out, with moist gray clouds threatening rain later in the evening. He hoped to catch Mulder on the way out. He wasn't certain loitering in the hallway would have looked good. There was too much having to keep up appearances. If Mulder did have friends in high places, he better hope they were feeling friendly now. The audience in that room hadn't really been interested in anything other than finding a reason to come down as hard as they could on Mulder. Exactly what Scully had feared.

Scully watched the cars and people go by for a time, before looking at his watch and deciding he couldn't wait around any longer. It was also possible that Mulder didn't want the company at the moment. He knew where to call when he found out anything.

The call did come as Scully was readying himself for bed. “They came to their decision, Scully. They aren't removing me, us from the X-Files.” The relief in Mulder's voice was palpable, and Scully felt the tension that he had been holding leave him in a rush. “I was basically just given a slap on the wrist. The funny thing is, I don't know if they let me off easily because I couldn't remember what happened and therefore couldn't defend myself, or if they felt I was no threat because I couldn't remember what I'd seen.”

“I don't know, Mulder, but that is good news. I'll see you tomorrow then.” Scully hung up the phone, relief making him feel light. However, Mulder's words final words troubled him, because he wasn't certain either.


End file.
